A Better Measure Than Your BMI?

The claim: Your hips really don't lie, according to a study analysis published in PLOS One that finds A Body Shape Index (ABSI) better predicts premature death than Body Mass Index (BMI).

The research: After finding in 2012 that ABSI—a combination of waist circumference, height, and weight measurements—predicts mortality, lead study author Nir Krakauer, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of civil engineering at the City College of New York, wanted to see if that was the case outside his initial US sample.

So shifting his focus to the UK, Dr. Krakauer analyzed data from Great Britain's 1980s Health and Lifestyle Survey, as well as their 7-year follow-up, and found that high ABSI predicted greater mortality than BMI (about 13%). He also found that reducing ABSI over a 7-year period was associated with less risk of death.

"High ABSI would typically represent an 'apple' shape, meaning that someone has a broader waist given their height and weight," says Dr. Krakauer. Or, having relatively more trunk fat (for a given height and weight) and less arm and leg muscle tissue, he says.

Bottom line: ABSI is a promising new health indicator, says Dr. Krakauer, and it's worth investigating whether or not reducing ABSI should be considered as a goal of preventative medicine. Want to know your ABSI? Click here for the online calculator.